In Japan talks, U.S. VP Pence to seek market access, investment

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks during an Easter fellowship dinner at a military base in Seoul, South Korea, April 16, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Files

SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will meet with Japan’s Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso on Tuesday, kicking off talks in Tokyo that the White House hopes will open doors in Japan for U.S.-made products and attract Japanese investment for infrastructure projects in the United States.

Tokyo is the second stop on Pence’s 10-day tour of Asia, a trip aimed at emphasizing that U.S. President Donald Trump wants to boost U.S. trade in the region even though he killed the 10-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact shortly after taking office.

“We thought it was important, particularly post-withdrawal (from) TPP, to let the region know that we haven’t forgotten about them,” a White House economic policy adviser told reporters traveling with Pence.